Typically in wellbore applications, strings of tubing are deployed into an oil well in combination with control lines in order to facilitate the operation of equipment downhole. Examples of such control lines include optical fibres, umbilical cables and tubing encapsulated conductor (TEC) cables. These control lines are usually held in position on the strings of tubing by clamps.
Downhole conditions can be fierce and assemblies for use downhole can be subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures and also exposed to highly abrasive solid particles, such as sand, proppants, wellbore cuttings and other debris. For example, during fracturing operations, highly abrasive materials (such as proppants and sand) are pumped downhole at high rates. Such extreme conditions can result in damage to the exposed control lines and, consequently, can decrease the operational life of the well.